


Alone

by JohnxStrider



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Albino Dirk, Anal Sex, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood and Injury, Dark Past, Fluff and Angst, Gang Rape, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mental Health Issues, Mental Instability, Oral Sex, Psychological Horror, Psychological Trauma, Rape/Non-con Elements, Really tall Cal, Smol Dirk, Smut, shadow creature
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-20
Updated: 2016-05-14
Packaged: 2018-06-02 17:02:14
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,985
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6574543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JohnxStrider/pseuds/JohnxStrider
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dirk has been put into the orphanage by his older brother. Abandoned and hurt, he ends up at a foster home for young boys. There, he meets a boy named Cal, a strange individual whose dark past begins to invade Dirk's life. However, the bond they form is too strong to be broken, even by the demons of chasing after Cal.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is based of a roleplay I've been doing and currently am still doing on Instagram with a lovely fucker. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoy!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a sort of a prologue. Cal will come in the next chapter.

"What do you mean, you're giving me up for adoption?"

Dirk stood there, holding Hal's shades in one hand and a stuffed pillow in the other. His lip trembled as he stared across the room at his older brother. Dave was standing there with his arms crossed and shades set on his face, stoic expression in place. He looked just as harsh as usual, and Dirk felt his heart sink.

“I’m directing a new movie. I can’t keep towing you around with me. You’re too young to stay anywhere on your own so...I’m dropping you off at an orphanage. Pack your stuff and be at the door in an hour.”

Dirk’s lip trembled and tears filled his eyes. “D-Dave you can’t really mean that. Please, Dave! I wanna stay with you!” He began to cry loudly, tears streaming down his face.

Dave seemed to take no notice of the younger male’s pleas. “One hour.” He reminded Dirk coldly, before turning and heading into his room.

DIrk ran upstairs into his room and flung himself onto his bed, sobbing into his pillow. He didn’t want to leave his brother. He knew he was a little bit of a hassle to bring along to movie sets and such, but he never thought he was this big of a problem. Sitting up, he wiped tears from his eyes and slowly got up to pack. He stuffed clothes into a large duffle bag, along with some posters of things he liked. He also packed Hal’s shades. The small Strider had been working on the prototype body, but he had a feeling the orphanage wouldn’t approve of his dangerous work with robotic parts.

With a heavy heart, Dirk added the last few of his belongings into the duffel bag and zipped it up. He slipped his jacket on, an orange and silver one with two medium sized pockets, and stood in front of the mirror, surveying himself. He did this whenever he felt too emotional; Dave always taught him to hide his emotions because they were a sign of weakness.

Dirk started with his face. It was small and thin. His white hair fell over his eyes and his bright orange eyes shone from the center of his pale face. His body was slender, and he had no muscles. He was very short, being 13 and standing at 5’3.

He didn’t realize how long he had been upstairs until Dave called for him to come down. He grabbed his duffel bag and headed down the flight of stairs, shades set firmly on his face. Dave was waiting by the front door, and he didn’t look happy.

“Give me a minute.” Dirk spoke stubbornly, setting down the bag and taking a last look around his house. Tears welled in his eyes but he refused to let them fall. He wouldn’t cry, at least not when Dave was watching him.

“They’re expecting us at three, and it’s an hours drive, Dirk. C’mon.” Dave took the keys from the drawer and walked out to the car. Dirk followed him, trying to be slow on purpose to irritate the older blonde even further.

He got inside the car and carefully lifted his duffel bag inside with him. He closed the door and buckled up as Dave pulled out of the driveway, heading down towards the freeway. Looking out the winder, the younger Strider glanced at his house one last time before it disappeared. Tears slowly trickled down his face.

The entirety of the car ride passed in absolute silence. Dirk didn’t cry and Dave didn’t speak. The silence was almost unbearable, and the small albino male hated it.Once they reached the orphanage, Dave got out. Dirk rolled down the window to listen to the conversation. A lady came out to greet him.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Mr. Strider. Didn’t you get the voicemail? We’re full here. No more room for your brother, I’m afraid. But we found a spot for him at a foster home in the next city over. Here are directions. You can fill out all the paperwork there.” She smiled brightly, handing him a map with directions, and Dave nodded silently. He climbed back in the car and drove off in the direction of the foster home.

It was another two hours before they reached the foster home in the next city. It was a large, old-fashioned house painted white and brown. The shutters hung off the large windows, creaking in the soft, whispering breeze. Dirk lugged his duffel bag to the front door, following Dave. A man holding a clipboard opened the door and raised an eyebrow at the two.

“I’m here to drop off my brother.” Dave spoke in a flat, emotionless tone. The man nodded and invited the two inside.

Suddenly freezing up, Dirk felt a shudder run through his spine. He took a hesitant step inside as he wiped away his remaining tears off his damp cheeks, looking around. The living room was large and furnished with a cracked TV and couches, beanbags, and chairs. A set of spiraling stairs led upwards, and many halls branched off in a few different directions.

Dave began to fill out paperwork in the kitchen, and DIrk hovered nearby anxiously. He heard footsteps behind him and turned to catch a glimpse of startling blue eyes before they vanished. Loud yells echoed from upstairs and there were constant banging noises.

“Shut up you little shits!” Another man, much taller than the one helping Dave with paperwork, emerged from a room on the right side of a hall and shouted up at the other kids. Immediate silence fell, and Dirk swallowed hard, not liking the look in the man’s dark eyes at all. He moved closer to Dave and clung to his arm. Impatiently, the older Strider shook him off as he signed his name on the paper and handed it back to the man.

“Alright, you’re all set to go. Feel free to visit whenever you want.” He smiled. Dave didn’t smile back; he instead just pressed his lips together into a firm line and began to walk towards the front door, prepared to exit.

“Why are you giving me up? I thought you loved me!” Dirk couldn’t help but say in a shaky voice, not wanting him to leave.

“I do love you, Dirk. It’s just that I have too much work to do and you get in the way.” Dave didn’t stop walking, and Dirk’s heart broke. The words hurt, they really did. Dirk began to cry, grabbing Dave’s arm. The man left silently, leaving the two alone.

“Dave...Dave! Don’t leave me!” Dirk began to sob as his brother grabbed his shoulders roughly.

“Listen to me. You’ll be fine here. You’ll make friends and forget all about me. Just stop being such a baby.”

“I don’t wanna make friends! I want to stay with you! Please, Dave!” Dirk was blinded by his own tears at this point.Giving a soft huff of impatience, Dave straightened up and left without a backwards glance. Crying, Dirk was left on the floor of a strange house, his new home, all alone.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cal comes to Dirk's rescue.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is the next chapter, enjoy :3

“Hey newv kid. Get your ass off the floor and stop crying, it’s givwing me a headache.” Dirk rubbed at his eyes from underneath his shades and looked up. 

Towering over him were a group of kids, most of them who looked like they were older than Dirk. They seemed to be in their late teens. The one who had spoken to him was a male with gelled black hair and bright lavender eyes. He was smirking, and the expression gave Dirk chills. Standing next to him was a shorter male wearing a red sweater. His pale gray eyes had flecks of gold. The tallest teen in the group had messy black hair and dark, dark eyes that had the slightest hint of purple. His smile creeped Dirk out. There was a girl in the back with straight black hair down past her shoulders. Her turquoise eyes gleamed as she looked between Dirk and the others, an almost predatory smile on her face. The last kid was a shorter boy with curly black hair that fell in front of his face. Dirk couldn’t see his eyes, but this male was giggling and mumbling things under his breath.

“Aw, he got ditched by his brother. Be nice, Cro.” The girl cackled softly and twirled her hair, looking down at him. Growing uncomfortable, Dirk made to stand up, but was promptly pushed down by the creepy guy. 

“Stop that.” He spoke in a trembling voice, and the male who had spoken first, who seemed to be the leader, laughed deeply. 

“Trying to defend yourself, huh? Cute. Let’s see wvhat you’vwe got in your bag.” Dirk tried to grab his bag, but the giggling male snatched it up, unzipped it, and began to dump the contents out. 

“Cronus, stop.” The red sweater male tugged on Cronus’s arm, frowning. 

“Babe, chill. Wve’re just havwing fun.” He snickered, grasping Dirk’s arm and pulling him up. “Oops,” he chuckled maliciously as he delivered a blow to the small male’s jaw. The punch knocked Dirk over and sent him sprawling over his scattered belongings. Most of the group erupted into laughter, and tears welled in Dirk’s eyes. His cheeks flushed with anger and embarrassment as he tried to stand. Cronus stepped on his back and pushed him back down.

“I don’t think so, new kid. What’s your name again? Dork? Dirk? Who cares anyway.” Cronus raised his foot, about to stomp on his back, when a voice cut in.

“I hate to ruin your fun, Cronus, but you really should let the new kid up. It’s his first day, anyways.” 

Dirk raised his ashamed gaze to meet those same startling blue eyes. There was a tall blonde male standing in front of him, wearing a baggy blue shirt and orange pants. He snapped his red suspenders and smiled easily.

Scowling, Cronus relented and moved away. The blonde offered his hand, and Dirk slowly took it, allowing this new teen to pull him to his feet. He could sense that there was a palpable amount of tension in the air between Cronus and the blonde kid.

“Wvhat do you want, Cal?” The purple-eyed male narrowed his eyes at him. Cal’s smile widened in response to the hostile question.

“I’m the new kid’s roommate, I need to show him where to put his stuff.” He easily sidestepped the curly-haired male and began to gather up Dirk’s belongings, stuffing them into the duffel bag.

“C’mon.” He motioned for Dirk to follow him, and led him up the spiraling staircase. The small Strider wiped away his tears, something he had been doing all day, and followed him. 

They reached a loft and a long hallway, doors lined on either side. Cal entered a door on the right and set down the duffel bag on a neatly made bed pushed up against one wall. The other bed was unmade, the blankets heaped messily onto each other. Slowly following, Dirk looked around the room. There was a chest of drawers in one corner and a large window straight ahead. The curtains were closed, but some sunlight still slipped in through small partings. 

“So, what’s your name?” Cal sat on his bed and stretched out his arms. Dirk took a better look at him; his blonde hair was carelessly tousled, and he was tall and thin. However, there was a certain strength he seemed to have even though he wasn’t built that muscular. 

“Dirk.” He spoke softly, biting his lip and sitting on the edge of his bed. He rubbed his bruised jaw and looked up into those baby blue eyes.

“I’m Cal. Nice to meet you. I like your shades.” Cal beamed. His cheeks had two little pink circles, almost like he was blushing, and Dirk couldn’t tell if that was the natural color or if it was makeup. 

“Sorry about those jerks down there. Cronus and his gang are always like that. I’ll protect you though.” His smile only widened. Still upset over the fact of Dave leaving, Dirk leaned against the wall and hugged his knees to his chest. Cal frowned, cocking his head to the side and gazing at him.

“Are you still sad about your brother leaving?” He asked softly, in such a tender tone that tears rose in Dirk’s eyes. He furiously rubbed them away, keeping his shades on. 

“It’s okay. You’ll be adopted soon. The younger kids always get adopted.” Cal tried to cheer up the young albino male, who had started to cry again. 

“Sshhh, it’s okay, Dirk.” He rose and sat next to Dirk, pulling him flush against his chest. Too surprised to resist, Dirk sagged against him and closed his eyes. 

“It’s okay. It’ll be okay.” Cal rubbed his back and pet his hair, just like Dave used to do when Dirk was younger. He cried harder, and for a long time too, until finally finally calming down. Embarrassed, he pulled away from Cal, who smiled cheerfully at him. 

“See, don’t you feel better now?” He asked, and Dirk nodded his head slowly. He did feel a little better. 

“Now, why don’t you tell me a little about yourself? We are roommates, but I want us to be friends too!” Cal’s smile was too bright to ignore, so Dirk began to think of some things to tell.

“Well, I’m 13 and in 8th grade.” He searched his brain for more things to tell.

“You’ll get homeschooled then. High schoolers have to go to the public high school, except me, but everyone younger doesn’t.” The blonde responded in a cheerful tone.

“Why not you?” He questioned curiously, using the back of his hand to brush away his remaining tears. 

“The high school thinks I’m too crazy to attend normal classes.” Cal hummed softly, not looking ashamed or sheepish at all.   
“Too...crazy?” Dirk hesitated upon asking this, but he was honestly curious. 

“Sometimes I get excited and don’t do my work. I don’t pay attention in class. I’m not very smart anyways.” He laughed a bit, the sound light and airy. It made Dirk feel a little better.

“But anyways, I’m 16 and a junior in high school.” Cal explained.There was a shout from outside and the sound of a door slamming, but he took no notice. Dirk jumped a little and tried to relax.

“Want me to show you around?” Cal offered, standing up and extending a hand to him. Dirk hesitated; he did want to look around the large house, but he was afraid Cronus and his gang would find him again.

The older male seemed to understand Dirk’s fear and simply smiled. “Don’t worry. Cronus won’t mess with you when you’re with me.” 

Nodding, Dirk took his hand and stood. He expected Cal to let go as soon as he was upright, but to his surprise, the blonde pulled him out of the room, still holding his hand. Dirk’s small, cold hand was warm in Cal’s larger one, and his cheeks flushed slightly. 

“You’ve already seen the kitchen and the living room. These are the worker rooms. Whatever you do, don’t go down the hall. You’ll get punished if you do, and badly too. Worse than no dinner. Oh, and about dinner. I’ll help you out as best as I can, but we fight for our food here. So make sure you get some before it’s all gone. Mituna eats a lot.” They walked into the backyard, which was a large area of grass with some trees and shrubs at the edges of the garden. 

“Who’s Mituna?” Dirk questioned. Cronus and his gang were sitting on the picnic tables, drinking lemonade and eating chips. 

Cal began to point out the teens to him. “The curly haired one is Mituna. Be careful around him, he has anger issues and is really strong for someone so short. You already know Cronus, and his best friend is Kankri. Kankri is pretty nice, but he’s too easily manipulated. The tall one is Kurloz. Stay away from him at all costs. Strange things happen to kids who mess with Kurloz. The girl is Latula; she’s energetic and will rip you to pieces if you upset Mituna. Roxy, Jane, and Jake are at an afterschool tutoring program but they’ll be here soon. They’re really nice and I suggest you hang out with them.” 

Dirk tried to absorb all this information, looking carefully at each teen. Cronus looked over, sensing someone was watching them, and gave Dirk a crooked smirk. Cal’s grip on his hand tightened, and he was led back inside.

“Don’t pay any attention to him. He just wants to get under your skin.” The blonde explained, his hand still releasing warmth to Dirk’s.

“Sometimes we go on outings. And on the weekends we can go wherever we want, as long as a worker is with us to supervise.” Cal hummed a happy tune under his breath softly.

“Now, c’mon. I have to introduce you to someone.” He pulled Dirk out to the front of the house, smiling widely. 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Maybe leave a comment if you like? :)

Cal led the small albino male to the patio, where three teens were standing and talking. There was a muscular brunette male with green eyes who was laughing. Standing next to him was a girl with wavy blonde hair and rose colored eyes. She had a large grin on her face. Lastly there was a girl with a pixie cut. Her black hair shone in the sun, and she had pale blue eyes, nowhere near as startling as Cal’s.

“Heyyyy guys. This is Dirk, he’s new. Dirk, this is Jane, Jake, and Roxy.” Cal gently nudged Dirk forward after pointing out each of the teens. Suddenly feeling shy, Dirk clung to Cal’s hand tighter and didn’t move. 

“Aw, hi Dirk. You’re such a cutie.” Jane smiled cheerfully at him.   
“He already trusts you, Cal. Don’t be scared, chap! I don’t bite.” Jake’s eyes sparkled as he, too, smiled at the small white-haired boy.

“Hi.” Dirk’s grip on Cal’s hand tightened, and the blonde looked down with a smile. Dirk was glad he could still hold his hand; for some strange reason, it made him feel a lot more secure. 

“How old are you?” Roxy asked him, slinging an arm around Jane’s shoulders.

“I’m 13.” His voice was barely above a whisper. His social anxiety was kicking in. It didn’t happen often, but when he was overwhelmed by the presence of too many people, he tended to go quiet and sometimes have a panic attack. Cal seemed to notice this and gently squeezed his hand.

“Why don’t we go in and have lunch early? I’ll sneak you some pizza.” Cal suggested. When Dirk nodded silently, the older male led him inside.

“See you later, guys!” He waved to the three teens and led Dirk inside.

“It’s okay. No one’s forcing you to talk or anything. You’re okay, Dirky.” He cupped the small boy’s face with one hand and smiled sweetly. Dirk blinked behind his shades, his face heating up with a blush. He had never felt this warm, fluttery feeling in his stomach before. 

“Now let’s get you some lunch, uh?” Cal smiled softly at him and opened the fridge. He pulled out a box that contained pizza slices and heated it up in the microwave. He got out two plates and put two slices on each, setting them on the table.

“There you go.” The suspender-wearing male seemed happy as he elicited a smile from Dirk. They both sat down at the table, starting to eat. As Dirk ate, the tension seeped out of his body. The pizza was cheesy and good, and Cal was great company. He kept making jokes and telling him stories of his previous experiences with pets. When they were done, Cal suggested they go outside and see the backyard.

“Sure.” Dirk nodded his head in agreement, a smile spreading over his face as the blonde took his hand again. Cal didn’t seem to be doing it as a romantic gesture; just as one of comfort.

When they walked outside, Cronus and his gang were still lounging on the benches. Ignoring them, Cal led him past them towards the tree.

“Hey dipshit, you’re lucky you have Cal protecting you. Or else I’d kick your ass!” Latula called out with a wide grin. Her teeth were sharpened, almost like fangs. 

Dirk’s grip on Cal’s hand tightened, and the blonde looked down at him with a reassuring smile. “Just ignore them, Dirky. I’m going to show you something amazing.” 

They walked to the very back of the huge backyard, to the tall oak tree. Dirk looked up through the branches and realized there was a tree house up there. 

“C’mon. Haa haa, hee hee, hoo hoo.” Cal chuckled and lifted himself up onto the first branch, looking down at him.

“I don’t know...I’m not very good at climbing trees.” Dirk hesitated, biting his lip.

“I’ll help you.” The older male offered a hand, and he took it, allowing Cal to hoist him upwards. 

“Wow, you’re light.” He laughed a bit when Dirk blushed, holding onto the tree trunk for support. 

“C’mon.” They climbed up until they reached a rope ladder that was slowly swinging in the light breeze. Cal grabbed it and began to climb. Dirk soon followed him up the ladder, where they reached a treehouse.

The small male looked around in awe at the treehouse. The walls were painted a light gold color and there were chairs and beanbags scattered inside. A small fridge sat in one corner. It seemed to be a comfortable place to just sit down and relax after a long day.

“Wow, Cal. Did you build this?” Dirk asked, wide amber eyes riveted to the older male. He smiled and nodded.

“It sure took a while, but I managed!” Cal grabbed Dirk’s hand again and led him to the beanbags, flopping down on one with the small male in his lap. Blushing, Dirk squirmed a bit and looked up at him. Cal didn’t seem to be embarrassed or notice anything wrong, so he just went with it, leaning against his chest, listening to his heartbeat and trying to cool his warm cheeks.

“Cal? How long have you been here for?” Dirk gazed up at him after a while, nibbling on his bottom lip.

“Me? Oh, seven years? A long time.” The blonde laughed softly and held him close to his chest, nuzzling into Dirk’s hair. “Your hair is really soft, by the way.” He added.

“Oh, thanks.” The small albino boy laughed a bit, a smile spreading across his face.

“You look cute when you smile.” 

The words caused Dirk to freeze up, a dark blush spreading across his face. Cal laughed that funny laugh again and nuzzled into his hair. 

“You’re such a sweetie, Dirk. I’m glad you’re my roommate.” He smiled and gently squeezed the small boy in a hug. 

Instead of feeling creeped out or uncomfortable, Dirk actually found himself relaxing at the envelopment. He didn’t know why, but for some reason, Cal’s presence just calmed him down. Maybe it was the affectionate look in those startling blue eyes. Or the way he always seemed to want to make Dirk as comfortable as possible. 

“I’m glad you’re my roommate too, Cal.” Dirk smiled up at him, and the smile that lit up Cal’s face was just dazzling.

They stayed in that comfortable position for some time, until someone called out from below, “Cal, your tutor is here!” 

“I gotta go, Dirky. Why don’t you stay here and wait for me? I’ll be back in an hour.” He spoke, and Dirk nodded, moving out of his lap and onto the beanbag. Cal flashed a final smile before climbing down the rope ladder and disappearing. 

For a while, Dirk just sat there in silence, missing the warmth of the older male. Then he heard scuffling noises from below, and brightened. Cal must be back early or something, he assumed. So when he saw Cronus emerge from below and straighten up, his heart dropped into his stomach. Following Cronus were Latula and Mituna.

“Hey, dipshit. Wvhat’s up?” Cronus smirked down at Dirk, who knew better than to try and stand up. 

“Leave me alone, Cronus.” His voice wavered slightly but was mostly steady.

“Wvhat are you gonna do wvithout Cal here to protect you? Hm?” He yanked Dirk up by his arm and pinned him against the wall. He grabbed his shades held them away from his grasp, sneering.

“Wvell wvell, look at that. You have piss eyes.” He snickered, and Mituna went into a fit of giggles. Dirk’s lip trembled and he tried to reach for his shades, but Cronus snapped them in two and tossed them to the side.

“Hey!” Dirk managed to land a punch on the older male’s jaw before his wrists were grabbed and pinned against the wall. 

“You little shit. Think you’re brave, piss eyes?” Cronus spat in his face and kneed him hard in the stomach. Dirk cried out in pain, and his knees shook underneath him, eyes filling with tears. Latula laughed as the tears began to roll down his face. 

“Aww, poor little baby is crying.” She mocked Dirk’s expression, and Mituna giggled even more, mumbling incoherently under his breath.

“Please stop. P-please!” He gasped out as Cronus pinned his wrists with one hand and slammed his fist into his stomach. His vision blurred as he sank to the floor, feeling nauseous and dizzy. When he had finally regained his breath and his vision cleared, Cronus was talking to Latula in hushed tones a few feet away, and Mituna was regarding him with a devious smile.

“I like bees.” He giggled and pushed his hair out of his eyes. For the first time, Dirk had a view of his eyes. One was dark red, almost like Dave’s, and the other was a deep ocean blue. For some reason, the contrast unnerved Dirk greatly.

“Shut up.” He mumbled, struggling to climb to his feet. The older male, however, pushed him back down. Dirk suddenly shot up and shoved Mituna aside, trying to make a run for the exit. Mituna shrieked and fell to the floor, yelling a jumbled mess of words.

“What did you do to him?!” Latula shrieked and grabbed the small albino boy by the back of his shirt, dragging him backwards. It effectively cut off his air supply and caused him to cough and collapse to the ground. Latula grabbed her skateboard, which she had been carrying around on her back, and began raining hit after hit on Dirk.

Dirk was screaming and crying, trying to get back up, but every time he managed to get on his knees, the black-haired girl would slam her skateboard against his head or back and send him sprawling across the floor again. It wasn’t until Kankri climbed up the ladder, attracted by the noise, and begged Cronus to make her stop did Dirk finally stop sobbing. 

“Don’t ever touch ‘Tuna again.” Latula gave one final kick to Dirk, who whimpered and curled into a ball, before leaving the treehouse. Mituna followed her, taking the skateboard and chattering happily. Kankri and Cronus left too, leaving Dirk all alone.

He was sure we was bruised all over, and his head was pounding painfully. He raised his hand to his forehead and felt the sticky blood running down his face from a long gash. Luckily, it seemed shallow. Sniffling, Dirk curled up tighter and closed his eyes, hoping Cal would come and rescue him soon.

After what seemed like forever, there were the sounds of someone climbing the ladder. Dirk rolled onto his side and stared at the entrance, his body tense. He only relaxed when he saw Cal’s blonde head pop into view. He just wanted to cry in his warm, comfortable embrace. 

“Oh my...Dirk, what happened?!” Cal’s startling blue eyes were wide with shock as he saw the small boy on the floor, looking so battered. 

“C-Cronus and Latula…” He whispered, slowly sitting up with the older male’s help. There was an intense, furious look in Cal’s blue eyes for a second, but it soon disappeared, replaced with concern.

“Come on. Let’s get you back inside to the room and patched up.” Cal gently lifted Dirk up bridal style and carried him to the edge of the ladder. Carefully climbing down, the blonde jumped down and walked inside the house, cradling the small boy to his chest. Once they got back to the room, he laid Dirk on the bed and took out a first aid kit. 

“This might hurt.” He warned as he wiped the gash on Dirk’s face with a tissue, getting rid of the blood and pressing down to stop the blood flow. He whimpered but didn’t flinch away, teary amber eyes fluttering shut after a pause.

“It’s okay.” Cal whispered comfortingly, gently applying a bandage to the cut after disinfecting the area with an alcoholic swab. After that, he rubbed cream into all of Dirk’s bruises and tucked him into bed, kissing his forehead. 

“Stay with me.” Dirk grabbed Cal’s arm as the older closed the lights and attempted to leave the room. Looking down for a brief moment, Cal’s surprised expression melted into a soft one, and he sat by Dirk’s bedside, gently stroking his hair. 

What Cal didn’t know was that the young boy was prone to nightmares. He would dream of vivid, violent images, of him dying, his brother dying, and other ghastly things too horrible to describe. But with the blonde beside him, whispering words of comfort and petting his hair, Dirk felt peaceful and relaxed as he drifted off to sleep. 

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a comment on what you thought!
> 
> ~samx


End file.
